Mother's Day Shopping
by bahjcb
Summary: Derek never enjoyed shopping and this Saturday was no exception. Dasey
1. Day Before Mother's Day

**Disclaimer: Like anyone actually thinks I own the rights to LWD or Mother's Day—and, I don't. Oh, and the gifts I mention, completely real, but I don't own them either.**

* * *

"Der-ek!" Casey whined. "She's your mother, too."

Rolling his eyes and not looking away from the sports magazine he was reading, Derek replied, "Ah, no, Space Case, she's not. Nora's my _step_-mom. That means I'm not required to get her a gift."

"Der-ek…"

Quickly interrupting her, he said, "No. Now go away."

"But, Edwin and Marti are coming. What will it look like if you don't give Mom a gift, too?"

"You don't need me to get Nora a gift. And, I can sign the card."

Realizing that whining and guilt wasn't getting her anywhere, Casey decided to change tactics. Dropping her shoulders and sighing, Casey replied, "Fine, but if I accidentally damage the car or your Smarti with my driving skills, I don't want to hear any whining."

Derek dropped the magazine and glared. Casey had pushed him in a corner and he knew it. If he let her drive that would be admitting that he thought she could drive and he'd never hear the end of it. She'd always want to drive.

Grunting, Derek got off his bed and stormed down the stairs. Casey, watching him, just smiled in triumph and hurried after him.

* * *

Slowly walking behind Derek and Casey who were holding Marti's hands as they all walked towards the mall, Lizzie leaned towards Edwin and whispered, "Do you think they realize how much like a family they look like? Marti could be their daughter walking between them like that."

Edwin smiled. "How about trip over here? Casey helping us get out the door and then Derek running out with the keys. They act like an old married couple."

"Lizzie, Edwin," Casey interrupted, looking over her shoulder at the slower pair. "Hurry up, we don't want to lose you two in this mess."

Whispering, Lizzie said, "Research binder when we get home."

"You heard Casey," Derek barked. "Stop dawdling."

"Yes, Dad," Edwin muttered.

Casey and Derek exchanged an exasperated look as their two younger siblings started to laugh hysterically before rushing to catch up with them.

* * *

"Can't we just get Nora some flowers?" Derek asked, exasperated.

"Oh, that shows a lot of thought, Derek," Casey snipped.

"Smerek," Marti exclaimed, interrupting the…discussion. "Look!"

Then, before her brother could reply, Marti dragged Derek over to a fragrance stand. "Smerek, let's buy Nora this!"

By then, Casey, Lizzie, and Edwin had caught up with the other two. Stifling a grin, Lizzie grabbed the sample bottle and sprayed it into the air.

"Umm, _Play-Doh_," Edwin laughed.

"_Eau de PLAY-DOH_," Casey said with disbelief as she read the sign. "We can't…"

Seeing his little sister's big eyes looking up at him, Derek interrupted. "Case, it says right here that it's 'meant for highly-creative people.' Are you telling me that Nora isn't creative?"

"She is," Marti insisted. "She decorates houses."

She might have been able to say no to just Derek or Marti, but with the two of them looking at her with those cute big eyes…sighing and pushing what she just thought away, Casey said, "Well, it is only 13.07."

"Yeah!" Marti yelled.

Grabbing a box of perfume, Derek said, "Only four presents and a card to go."

* * *

"Couldn't we get Nora a joint gift?" Edwin asked as they walked through yet another store.

Stopping in the mist of her search, Casey turned back to her quickly tiring fellow shoppers. "What do you suggest?"

Adjusting his grip on Marti who was sitting on his hip, Derek suggested, "What about something for the kitchen? We all know she and Dad can use all the help they can get there."

"That's number one on the list of things you should never buy for Mother's Day."

"There's an actual list?"

Edwin, ignoring the two of them, trotted over to a nearby clothing display and grabbed a light cotton nightgown. Holding it up, he asked, "How about this?"

"Only if Nora decides to cross the prairie in a wagon," Derek snickered.

"Nightwear is a little _too_ personal, Ed," Casey said in an attempt to soften the blow.

"How about a vacuum?" Lizzie suggested. "We broke ours just last week."

"I'm not sure that counts as a gift," Edwin replied.

Derek rolled his eyes, but said, "It's related to kitchen appliances. I'm sure it's on the no list."

Sighing, Lizzie asked, "What's on the Top Mother's Day gifts list?"

"Things with meaning," Casey quickly replied.

"Easy," Derek replied with a smirk.

"Oh?" Casey challenged.

"We get up earlier, clean the house, make Nora breakfast in bed, and to top it off—_none_ of us fight."

"We should also get her a card," Edwin insisted.

"Mom will love that," Lizzie agreed as she headed out of the department store and towards some place that sold cards.

Seeing that she had been out voted, Casey rolled her eyes and followed along.

* * *

"Smerek, how about this one?" Marti asked, holding up a very pretty pink card.

Taking it from her, Derek smiled. "While Nora probably deserves our sympathy for having to put up with all of us, I think we should get her another card, Smarti."

"Hey I found one of those music cards," Lizzie exclaimed. "The song's _We Are Family_."

Taking the card from her, Edwin added, "We can record a message to introduce the song."

Swiping it from Edwin's hands, Derek smirked. "We're buying it."

"Derek, now we have to decide what to say to introduce the song," Casey complained, chasing after him.

"Easy, Spacey. We'll just say something like, 'Nora, we're glad we're all family.'"

Lizzie rolled her eyes as she watched them go at it.

"That's a good idea," Edwin said.

"I know," Lizzie replied. "Mom will love it."

* * *

Casey wasn't sure if she should be thrilled that Derek planned the perfect Mother's Day or upset that _Derek_ planned the perfect Mother's Day. As she brushed her teeth, however, Casey decided to go with thrilled. Her mother loved her gifts and actually cried with happiness at the card they all signed.

Walking back into her bedroom, Casey was startled to find plastic tumbler filled with daises. Seeing a note next the glass, Casey quickly snatched it up. It was short, but written in a familiar hand.

_Space Case,_

_Since it's Mother's Day, I figured we shouldn't forget the person who 'mothers' aka nags us more than anyone._

Smiling, Casey wiped away the threatening tears.

* * *

Pulling his shirt over his head, Derek could hear someone enter his room. Once his head was free, he saw Casey grinning at him like an idiot. Before he could make a sarcastic comment, Casey hurried forward and pulled him into a tight hug. Upon pressing a quick kiss to the side of his mouth, she added, "Thanks for the flowers."

With that, she was gone and Derek realized that it was his turn to be grinning like an idiot. Plopping onto his bed, Derek decided that Mother's Day was his new favorite holiday.


	2. 15 Years Later

**I read an article on the worst Mother's Day gift given and received. It was very funny and inspired this chapter. And yes, there are at least two women out there whose husbands are like Ralph and helped their wives discover new "hobbies."**

* * *

"Sorry, I'm late," Derek panted as he came running up.

Ralph and Sam looked at their friend in surprise. Sam was the first one who found his tongue.

"D, did you forget something?"

"Like a babysitter," Ralph added.

"We're shopping for Mommy," six-year-old Cameron Venturi explained.

"Daddy needs us," Cameron's twin, Taylor, replied with a decisive nod that knocked some of her dark hair out of her pig tails.

"Yeah," Derek agreed before looking down at his three-year-old daughter sitting on his foot. "Kel, baby, switch feet, okay. Daddy's right foot is falling asleep."

With a giggle the little girl quickly switched feet.

Ralph watched the scene looking appalled. "D, how are we going to buy lingerie with your four ankle bitters?"

"I don't bit ankles," Cameron shouted, appalled.

"Daddy," Taylor asked while yanking on Derek's jeans to better get his attention. "What's lingerie?"

"Pajamas," Derek quickly replied. Turning back to his friends, he added, "Jake's taking his nap and he can sleep through anything." All three of the men looked down at the baby strapped to Derek's chest in the baby carrier. Jacob Venturi was indeed sound asleep despite the noise of the mall all around him.

"Why didn't Ralph say pajamas?" Taylor asked. Like her mother, she never let anything go.

"He was trying to be cool," Derek explained.

"Oh," she answered thoughtfully.

Glad to be off that topic, Derek turned back to his friends. "You can't get your wife pajamas for Mother's Day, Ralph."

"Well, I was thinking of acting like I forgot the day and then after the kids are in bed…"

"Ralph," Derek exclaimed. "Impressionable children. They repeat everything they hear."

"You shouldn't have brought them," Ralph sulked.

Sam laughed. "Derek's right, Ralph. As a veteran Mother's Day gift buyer, I can tell you that you won't be getting any with either of those gifts.

"Get any of what?" Kelly asked.

"Cookies, sweetheart." Turning Derek grabbed Cameron, in an attempt to keep the child from wandering off, and said, "Why did my children have to get Casey's curiosity?"

Once again, Sam started to laugh. He remembered when he had first found out that Casey was pregnant. Boy or girl, he knew Derek was going to pay for all the crap he had put his parents through over the years. He just couldn't wait until Derek's baby girls were old enough to date. That would be all sorts of entertainment right there.

"Fine," Ralph sighed. "I'll just get her welding gloves."

"Welding gloves," Derek repeated, distracted as he tried to get the twins to not run around the department store.

"You think a welding mask would be better?"

"Ralph," Sam asked, completely confused. "Since when does your wife weld?"

"Well, she said she was interested in picking up a new hobby."

"So, you picked welding?"

"It's a useful skill," Ralph protested.

"Cameron George Venturi, put down that bottle of perfume and come here!"

Rolling his eyes, Sam asked, "Why didn't you leave the kids home with Casey?"

"Because we're replacing the toaster since someone wanted to toast their plastic toast," Derek said with a significant look at Taylor.

"But Daddy, I wanted to use the real toaster."

"Not without Mommy or Daddy there, remember?"

"Yeah," Taylor sighed heavily.

"But," Ralph protested. "I thought Casey once said toasters were bad presents."

"We've already got Case's present. We're just replacing the toaster. Cameron, hang onto my belt loop and do not let go, do you understand me."

"Fine," the six-year-old sighed.

Now that only Taylor, his best behaved child, was the only one loose, Derek breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to his buddies.

"Somehow, Ralph, I just don't see Trish as a welder. I could be wrong."

Sighing, Ralph looked around the store. "A watch?"

"Good idea," Sam agreed. "I'm getting one of those mother's necklaces. What about you D? What did you get Casey?"

"A day off," Derek sighed as he grabbed Taylor around the waist to stop her from running around and knocking over a display.

* * *

Casey smiled as she walked into their bedroom to fine her husband lightly dozing on the bed. Crawling up next to him, she kissed the side of his jaw.

Groaning, Derek pulled his eyes open. Giving her a sleepy grin he replied, "Did you have a nice Mother's Day?"

"The best," she replied, curling up next to him.

Fingering the colorful beaded necklace the twins had made for her, he said, "I told them you would only wear this for really special occasions."

"Well, this is a special necklace."

"Ralph wanted to get Trish welding gloves."

"I'm lucky to have the Mother's Day master," Casey teased.

"Yes," Derek replied with a prideful smirk. "You are."

Laughing, Casey slapped his chest in mock anger.

Growling, Derek flipped his wife over so he was hovering over her. "You're playing with fire, woman."

"It's a good thing I don't care, hum?"

Attacking her neck with his lips, Derek muttered, "Yes, it is."

Casey just laughed and hugged her husband even tighter.


End file.
